The present invention relates to apparatus for harvesting hay and more particularly to a unique device for retrieving and transporting round hay bales.
Relatively recently hay baling operations have been employed which form round hay bales. These bales are approximately four to eight feet in diameter and possess significant advantages over the more conventional or regular rectangular shaped bales. A large round hay bale may be the equivalent of 22 to 25 regular rectangular bales. Further, round bales can be stored outside year after year, if necessary, without suffering adverse consequences. The round or cylindrical bales are usually held together by circumferential strands of twine and shed water. These bales, therefore, do not rot as square bales do when left in the field.
The round bales usually have been removed from the field through the use of a forklift and a tractor-hauled wagon. The forklift can damage the round hay bales. Also, such prior methods are labor intensive and, of course, require the use of a minimum of two vehicles.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,053,070, entitled RETRIEVING VEHICLE and issued on Oct. 11, 1977, in the name of the present inventor discloses a unique retrieving vehicle which is capable of retrieving round hay bales and transporting them to a place of storage or use. The vehicle disclosed therein is self-propelled and includes an elongated frame supporting a deck or pan structure. The deck includes a pivotable, forward ramp portion which may be lowered to ground level. A bail unit is provided which includes legs pivotally connected to carriers slidably mounted on tracks supported by the deck. The bail at its forward end includes wheels which ride on the track defined by the ramp portion. The bails move longitudinally of the frame through a sprocket and chain arrangement. The hay bales are loaded at the forward ramp portion and unloaded by being pushed off the vehicle at the rear thereof.